ECMA No-Cases boast a diverse lineup

There is arguably no shortage of entertainment to taking place in Metro Moncton this ECMA weekend. And while the East Coast Music Association has put together a stellar, diverse lineup of talent at various venues throughout the city, there is also large number of ‘nonsanctioned’ shows taking place. Often referred to as ‘no cases,’ the shows are, like their ECMA counterparts, diverse in the lineups that are featured. The only thing actually differentiating these from ‘official’ ECMA events is the fact that the East Coast Music Association is not actively promoting the no-cases in their advertising.

It should go without saying that with the bulk of Metro’s venues booked up with East Coast Music Award events, both bands and club owners had to come up an action plan to make these shows happen.

Tracy Petukhov, owner of Plan B Lounge on St. George Street put out a call to any bands, regardless of genre, to submit their band for consideration of a coveted ‘no-case.’ From there though, the musicians had to mobilize their fan base and earn votes to be among the top voteearning bands to actually secure a showcase spot.

‘To determine who the successful bands would be, we had a contest that bands would post a link to a song that they recorded on the Plan B Facebook page,’ Petukhov shares. ‘The most likes of the band’s post would win one of the spots.

We picked three winners a week until all of the no-case slots were filled. There was an overwhelming amount of bands that tried out and it was really great to watch how each of them vied to get a spot.’ Cape Breton Music Industry Chair Jennifer Currie says that their association has been putting on an event centred around Cape Breton artists each year since 1996. This year is no exception with Jimmy Rankin, Slowcoaster and more slated to perform at the Crowne Plaza Hotel this evening starting at 9:00 p.m.

‘We feel it’s really important to make sure that Cape Breton and its artists have some quality exposure at ECMA during the years between the event being held in Cape Breton,’ says Currie. ‘We’ve been holding a Cape Breton event at ECMA since 1996 and it is always a hot ticket.’ Kyle McDonald is the man behind a show taking place at Aberdeen Cultural Centre this evening.

The show, which features McDonald’s sludge-rock band Shevil along with three other groups, is yet another option for music fans to take in.

‘I had an idea to make a bill for a show that is made up of all different genres that have made an impact on East Coast Music but are not officially involved with the ECMA’s,’ McDonald says. ‘There is so much music out there that hasn’t been made a part of the official annual event that demands an equal amount of attention. And with having the ECMA’s in Moncton this year, it pretty much made it a no-brainer to book a no-case that would appeal to a multi-genre based crowd.’